Lying abroad

Longlisted for the 2026 Cundill History Prize

'A riveting account of a remarkable Elizabethan whose experiences as a scholar, traveller, soldier, exile, outlaw, spy, traitor and compulsive letter-writer prepared him well for his greatest challenge: serving as King James's ambassador to Venice. Deeply researched, captivatingly told and richly rewarding for anyone interested in British history and diplomacy.'
James Shapiro, author of 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare

'This is an enchanting book. And, for any lover of Shakespeare, an exhilarating one. With characteristic panache, Carol Chillington Rutter introduces another performer of the period, a diplomat, and a worthy addition to that great generation of writers, actors and thinkers.'
Simon Russell Beale

'Carol Chillington Rutter communicates her rigorous scholarship in lucid, sparkling prose. More than a biography, this is a compelling study of a vital period in our history - and one of the best books about Venice that I have read. Entertaining, erudite and essential reading.'
Anna Beer, author of Patriot or Traitor: The Life and Death of Sir Walter Ralegh

'Combining political history with a life of high drama, Carol Chillington Rutter tells the story of Henry Wotton, whose career as English ambassador to Venice was both dramatic and highly impactful. Deeply researched and evocative, Lying abroad brings the man who was arguably the first modern diplomat back to life.'
Elizabeth Norton, author of The Lives of Tudor Women

'During the course of this exuberant narrative, Carol Chillington Rutter plunges readers into a world that is at once surpassingly strange yet jarringly familiar. In Lying abroad, Henry Wotton learns to survive perilous times and even thrive in a landscape of dangerous diplomacy. I read it with mounting excitement.'
Laurence Bergreen, author of In Search of a Kingdom

'I wanted to highlight the whole book. Carol Chillington Rutter gives us Henry Wotton's character and world in a style that embodies and illuminates the teeming intellectual, political, cultural and linguistic exuberance of the man and his age. Lying abroad is full of fascinating detail and it was a continual, stimulating delight to spend time in Wotton's and Rutter's company.'
Sarah Fraser, author of The Prince Who Would Be King

'As witty and entertaining as its subject - the brilliant, quirky dilettante, man of letters and diplomat Henry Wotton - this book distils formidable knowledge into a page-turner that brings to life a fascinating journey, from Shakespeare's London to Paolo Sarpi's Venice and back.'
Filippo de Vivo, author of Information and Communication in Venice

'A richly rewarding book, which succeeds in painting a vivid portrait of one of the 17th century's most intriguing figures. If, as Henry Wotton argued, an ambassador is 'an honest man sent to lie abroad for the sake of his country', then Carol Chillington Rutter has brought him home in fittingly truthful style.'
Alexander Lee, Literary Review

'The liveliness of the tale told in Lying Abroad might inspire readers to pursue Wotton's Venetian trail.'
Clare Jackson, London Review of Books

'Wotton's larger than life personality shines through. And his eventful story serves as a timely reminder of the risks a ruler takes when he appoints a maverick as his overseas representative.'
Katherine Harvey, The Sunday Times